This invention relates to the recovery of the heat content of waste gases. More particularly, this invention relates to a process for the recovery of the heat content of waste gases having significant and highly troublesome proportions of dust and corrosive substances.
Heretofore, the heat content of waste gases from various industrial processes has been lost to a large extent because of the high dust and corrosive particles content thereof. Such lost heat content represents large quantities of wasted energy because these gases are frequently discharged into the atmosphere at relatively high temperatures.
Conventional heat exchangers if used for such waste gases, are plagued by fouling and a low rate of heat recovery. Waste heat boilers, which also have been used to recover heat content of the waste gase, have operational limitations which greatly inhibit or even prohibit the economical use thereof in the conventional plants. Such limitations include, e.g., high waste gas sulfur content and thus formation of sulfuric acid at temperatures below about 250.degree. to 300.degree. C., and a very high dust content.
Accordingly, previously known systems for the recovery of heat content of the waste gases were subject to operational drawbacks which prevented effective utilization of the thermal energy and which necessitated frequent interruptions in their continuous operation.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to improve the extent of recovery of the heat content of waste gases containing corrosive components and/or dust particles.
A further object of this invention is to reduce the susceptibility of heat-recovery systems to frequent interruptions in their operation.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method for removing dust particles and sulfuric acid from the packing of the regenerator, thereby preventing contamination of the purge gas with these contaminants.
Upon further study of the specification and the appended claims, further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.